Mongolia is located in east central Asia between Russia and China, and
has a parliamentary type of government. Its religious composition: Tibetan
Buddhist Lamaism 96 percent, Muslim (primarily in the southwest),
Shamanism, and Christian 4 percent (1998).

In 1984, Monte J. Brough, who would later be called to the Seventy,
traveled to Mongolia on a hunting trip. During his visit, he developed a
love for the Mongolian people. Eight years later, in May 1992, Elders
Merlin Lybbert and Monte Brough, members of the Asia Area presidency,
traveled to Mongolia to explore the possibility of the Church providing
humanitarian aid. Prior to this trip, the Mongolian ambassador to United
States had traveled to Brigham Young University, which had paved the way
for Elders Lybbert and Brough by providing positive contact with the
Mongolian government.

After several months of negotiation, permission was granted to send six
missionary couples to assist the country's higher education program and to
teach others about the Church. The first couple, Kenneth H. and Donna
Beesley, arrived on 16 September 1992. Kenneth Beesley, former president of
LDS Business College, was designated as lead elder. The first sacrament
meeting was held on 20 September 1992 in the Beesley's apartment. The five
other missionary couples to follow were Royce P. and Mary Jane Flandro,
Richard G. and Anna M. Harper, Stanley B. and Marjorie Smith, C. DuWayne
and Alice C. Schmidt, and Gary and Barbara L. Carlson.

The first Mongolian converts, students of the missionary couples, were
Lamjav Purevsuren and Tsendkhuu Bat-Ulzii. They were baptized on 6
February 1993. The Ulaanbaatar Branch was organized in September 1993.

Other cities were later opened to missionaries and branches were
organized in Erdenet, Darkhan, Gorodok, Hovd, Baganoor, Sukhbaatar and
Saynshand.

The Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission was officially established on 1 July
1995. The first mission president, Richard E. Cook, and his wife were
serving as missioniaries in Mongolia when he was called as mission
president. President Cook would later be called to the Seventy and serve
in the Asia Area presidency. Before the establishment of the mission,
Mongolia was overseen by the Asia Area presidency.

On April 15, 1993, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve and
Elder Kwok Yuen Tai of the Seventy visited Mongolia. Fifty government
officials attended a reception that evening hosted by the Church. On 24
October 1994, the Church was registered with the Mongolian government. The
first native Mongolians received mission calls on 11 April 1995: Sister
Magsar Batchimeg (Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission) and Sister
Urtnasan Soyolmaa (Utah Provo Mission).

The Ulaanbaatar Mongolia District was organized on 15 September 1996
with Togtokh Enkhtuvshin as president. Seminary and institute classes began
in 1996. The translation of the Book of Mormon into Mongolian was completed
and distributed to Church members in late 2001.

Also during 1996 Church-sponsored humanitarian projects included the
support of the Mongolian Scout Association, training of professional
accountants, cold weather housing, teaching English, and relief for victims
of grass fires.

On 12 June 1997 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve
visited with Dr. R. Gonchigdorj, chairman of parliament. Mr. Gonchigdorj,
who had visited Utah in 1995, thanked Elder Wirthlin for the humanitarian
assistance the Church had provided Mongolia.

On 6 June 1999 a building in Ulaanbaatar, widely known as the
"Children's Cinema," was dedicated by Elder Richard E. Cook as the first
LDS meetinghouse in Mongolia. In 1999, membership in Mongolia was 1,850 in
nine branches.

In June 2001 the Darkhan meetinghouse was dedicated by Elder Richard E.
Cook, the first Church-built meetinghouse in Mongolia. In the fall of 2000
the Church began construction of the Bayanzurkh Church Center, a five-story
Church building to house the mission home and office, service center,
meetinghouse and CES offices.

Mongolian government leaders made an appeal in 2000 for international
assistance, after a severe winter, followed by the worst drought in 60
years. In response, the Church sent three shipping containers of clothing
and quilts, in addition to 8,000 food boxes.

Membership in 2002 was 4,358 organized in two districts and 21 branches.
In 2003, there were 5,455.